Patriots’ running game stakes its ground

The Pats all but screamed for everyone to hear, “Don’t forget about our running game,” when they beat Philadelphia, 31-22, Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

By PAUL KENYON

The Patriots normally do all they can to avoid making public statements that opposing teams might be able to use against them. In that respect, they went against the grain the first time they had a chance to take the field this season, not with their words, but with their actions.

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The Pats all but screamed for everyone to hear, “Don’t forget about our running game,” when they beat Philadelphia, 31-22, Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

That is significant because most of the discussion surrounding the New England offense since training camp began has been about how the team will rebuild its receiving corps. The focus has been about what Tom Brady will do now that he does not have any of his top five receivers from last season to work with. Brady did his best to answer those questions in the opener by completing seven of eight passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in his brief work.

On this night, though, that was not the big news. It was the performance the team put on in running the ball that was most impressive.

The Pats piled up 248 yards rushing, more than they had in any game last season — and they were good on the ground last year.

“We had big runs. We had short-yardage runs where we needed to get the ball. We ran in on the goal line,” Brady said. “That establishes the identity of the team — how well you run, how well you stop the run.

“All those guys did a great job,” he said, speaking of Stevan Ridley and newcomer LeGarrette Blount in particular. “They are big, strong, powerful runners that want the ball in their hands. And when they get in the rhythm, they make a bunch of plays.”

Ridley stepped out of character, at least the way the Patriots want it, when he summed up the night’s work.

“Like I said about this running-back group, we’re special,” he said. “You can’t really ask for more. We’re just working hard every day and the results are showing.”

Coach Bill Belichick was not ready to go that far yet.

“All of our backs were productive,” he said. “We got good production out of all of them in the running game, some in the passing game, too, with screen passes.”

Obviously, if the Pats can run the ball this well, it would relieve pressure on Brady and all the new receivers. The Pats did not hide their desire to pound the ball on the ground. They came out running. They received the opening kickoff and needed only six plays to drive 80 yards for a touchdown.

On the first, Ridley bolted 62 yards up the middle. Every play on the opening drive was on the ground. The team converted on a third-and-one behind the power of the 250-pound Blount and pushed in from the one, with Ridley scoring the touchdown.

Brady noted that while the receivers are new, the offensive line is a veteran group. Even without their two star tight ends from last season, the Pats still used two tight-end sets in that first drive, with former Giant Jake Ballard and rookie Zach Sudfeld doing the honors.

“It started with what we did up front,” Brady said. “[Stevan Ridley] runs 62 yards. Incredible! To hand the ball off, and get the ball in the end zone, that was just great. It’s our challenge to be a tough football team and to run the ball like that. [It was a] great start.”

Blount finished with 101 yards on 11 carries, including a double-cutback, 51-yard scoring run in which he looked more like a scatback than a power guy. The longest run the Pats had all last season was 47 yards. Ridley began with his 62-yard burst and finished with 92 yards in eight carries. The running backs even got involved in the passing game. One of the prettiest plays of the night occurred when Brady floated a 13-yard touchdown pass to Shane Vereen, who had been split wide left as part of a five-receiver set.

After going over the game tape back home, Belichick said Saturday that the entire five days in Philadelphia, including the game itself, made up a worthwhile experience.

“I thought there were a lot of situations that came up in the game, more so than normal — not that there’s a normal amount — but we had a lot of things come up: we were backed up, we had four fourth-down situations on defense, we had two-minute drives, the two-minute at the end of the half where we stopped the field goal and then possibly had a chance to get into field-goal range, things like that, that were really good teaching situations for our team; things that we’d gone over in practice and either they came up or they came up close to that. It was a real good teaching experience.

“I think the overall week against Philadelphia was a good work week,” the coach added. “We had good, competitive practices without any real problems, so that was very productive for us. We had a chance to go out there and play football with all the situations — substitutions, the whole game operations — for the first time in quite awhile and that was good for us as a football team; [we] also had to go on the road, deal with all the logistics that go along with that. I feel like we made a lot of progress.”

This week is similar, except that the team will be the host. Tampa comes to town for joint practices Tuesday and Wednesday, and possibly Thursday as well, before the teams clash Friday night.

Belichick said: “We’re looking forward to another similar, hopefully, type of week where we can improve and grow as a football team and continue to compete individually against the top players that they have and continue our preparations for the opening game and a 16-game regular season.”